Chennai, Feb. 8 -- In what turned out to be a defining moment in Tamil Nadu politics, chief minister O. Panneerselvam's late night act of defiance was enough to send ripples across the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
His remark that he was "forced to resign from the chief minister's post" triggered more political confusion in a state that has been grappling with seemingly dormant power tussle within the ruling party.
"I was belittled on several occasions," said Panneerselvam.
In less than two hours after the former chief minister's speech, V.K. Sasikala, the general secretary of the AIADMK, said,"Panneerselvam is removed from the post of the party treasurer."
Addressing the media for the first time, Sasikala said- in what can be termed as the first communication with the public-that the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was behind Panneerselvam and affirmed that he would be removed as the member of the party. "AIADMK MLAs are together as a single family," she added.
The AIADMK also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has had a hand in the emerging confusion.
For someone who had stayed away from meeting the public, despite being made the leader of the party and has been nominated to be the chief minister, Sasikala displayed apprehension while talking to the media.
Now, the imminent question is: what next and who stands to gain?
Tuesday night signalled the chaos and friction in the party, which overcame the most crucial initial days, after the death of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on 5 December and is now imploding in the face of a power tussle.
DMK leader Stalin has said that "strict action" should be taken against those who had forced a chief minister to resign. Stalin said the DMK would not function as an enemy but as an opposition party and support a functional government in this hour of crisis.
Asked whether he will start a new party, Panneerselvam asserted, "I am and I will always continue to be the member of AIADMK and no one can remove me."
"If required, I would fight all alone to save the people of Tamil Nadu," he said.
This means the struggle for retaining the proprietorship of the AIADMK party is ready to unravel.
With Panneerselvam having tendered his resignation on Sunday and governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao having accepted it, there is a bigger question on what decision Rao,who has evidently stayed away from Tamil Nadu since Sunday, would take amid the buzz that he is considering legal aspects before administering the oath of office to Sasikala, who is waiting a verdict in a disproportionate assets (DA) case within a week.
Constitutional crisis?
Meanwhile, it cannot be dismissed that Panneerselvam had clearly gained the Centre's support in the last two months of his chief ministership during the continuous hurdles that he faced- Vardah cyclone, Jallikattu protests and Ennore oil spill.
While members of the AIADMK have said that the BJP was operating from behind, it is known that the Centre needs the support of AIADMK- currently the third largest party in Parliament- ahead of this year's Presidential election.
Though Panneerselvam has raised his voice, the big question is "why now? He should have done it before submitting his resignation", according to some political analysts. This is something that echoes across the state. Is the Centre trying to force its constitutional powers on the state, as argued by the AIADMK leaders?
At this juncture, it is possible for the governor to invoke the President's rule if he feels there is a failure of the constitutional machinery.
As per the Constitution, the chief minister would require 117 legislators to command a majority, which can include even the opposition party DMK. Following Jayalalithaa's death, the present strength of the Tamil Nadu assembly is 233. While the AIADMK holds 135 seat and the DMK-Congress combine along with the Indian Union Muslim League have 98.
Interestingly, during the assembly session last week, DMK members who objected to Sasikala being praised in the state legislature-she is not a legislator yet-did not attack Panneerselvam.
Senior DMK leader S. Duraimurugan told the state assembly that his party would lend its support to Panneerselvam and had no objections to him continuing as the chief minister. He cautioned, "Beware of those around you. We won't do any harm to you."